MACKIE HDR24/96 - Manual (Page 217)

HDR 24/96
Appendix I – Working with A Digital Audio Workstation
The HDR24/96 was initially designed with the idea that it would be used in a conventional studio setup
with a console for tracking and mixing. Today, however, the digital audio workstation (DAW) has
become an integral part of the recording and mixing process for many users. While we really hope you’ll
buy one of our consoles to go along with your recorder, we recognize that many users enjoy the
convenience and speed of tracking on the HDR24/96, but want the power and flexibility of a full blown
DAW for signal processing, editing, and even mixing. In this section, we’ll give you some tips for
moving audio files back and forth between your recorder and computer.
Rendering
We’ll say this right up front. Rendering Tracks is very important when transferring project files from
the HDR24/96 to a workstation. Since each recording pass creates an audio file, a track with punches
(or a track longer than 15 minutes, where natural breaks occur) will consist of more than one file. If
you simply move those “loose” files over to your workstation, you’ll have one file for the basic track
and then a file for each punch-in. While the HDR24/96 knows exactly where to play those punches,
there’s nothing that gives the DAW program that same information. Of course you can edit them
together in the DAW, but it’s an extra process.
By rendering a track that contains multiple takes, the rendered track with all the pieces glued together
can be transferred to the DAW. If you’ve edited the track on the HDR24/96 you’ll also need to
render it before transferring. Remember what an edit really is – a set of pointers to where and when
to play an originally recorded chunk of audio. If you silenced the stray noises between verses of a
vocal track by either cutting or by muting with the volume envelope, unless you render the track
before transferring it to the workstation, those edits and volume adjustments won’t be on your
workstation copy. You’ll get the whole audio file, lock, stock, and hiccup.
Rendering is also important when transferring a complete multitrack project. If you render all of the
tracks starting from the beginning of the song (even if the audio doesn’t start there on every track),
lining them up in the DAW is as simple as placing all the tracks at the same starting time.
Getting There (is half the fun)
Whether you want to just retune a vocal track and put it back on the HDR24/96 in better tune for
mixdown or move an entire 24 track project to your computer where it’ll never see the light of day
again until it finally emerges as a CD-R, the first step is getting the audio from the recorder to the
computer. There are three approaches:
• FTP – Use the HDR24/96’s FTP server to move files via Ethernet.
• Sneaker Net – Carry a removable disk from the recorder to the computer.
• Play it in – Connect the recorder output to the DAW input, record on the DAW while playing the
HDR24/96.
That spans the range of high tech, low tech, and in-between tech. There are advantages and
disadvantages to each method. What’s right will be determined by your hardware setup, the size of
the project, and as often as not, your patience and temperament.
FTP via Ethernet
If you have a network interface card in your computer and an FTP client program on your DAW
computer, you can use the HDR24/96’s built in Ethernet port and FTP server to transfer files
Technical Reference 217